Metal foil and method of attaching same



METAL FOIL AND METHOD OF ATTACHING SAME Filed May a, 1930 INVENTQR 7 @ki m ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE smrrnnennnnnorrsn, or BROOKLYN, new roux METAL FOIL AND METHOD OF ATTACHING SAME Application filed May 8, 1930. Serial No. 450,697.

of the container, or to keep the closure clean.

It is commonly in use on bottles such as are used for containing beverages.

It has been found that when it is desired to use the container again, after foil has been applied, that the foil is removed only with great difficulty. This is due to the fact that the foil being water-proof, it is not possible in washing the bottle to soak the soluble glue which is underneath the foil, and thus loosen and remove it, as can readily be done with 2G labels made of paper or other substances,

which will absorb water. It has been necessary, therefore, in order to remove foil, to

develop special machines or to scrape the same away with knives or other sharp im- 5 plements.

At present, there being no satisfactory and economical method of removingold foil from bottles which are used again for beverages, there is a residuum of caustic soda so from the washing solution which adheres to the remnants of old foil which remain on the bottle. This is very unsanitary as the soda is liable to become mixed with the beverage as it is poured from the bottle due to the fact that the liquid follows back along the outside surface of the bottle a sufiicient dis tance to come in contact with the old foil. Even though an attempt has been made to cover it with new foil, in decapping the bottle the old foil is again exposed.

My invention provides a foil and a method of attaching it on any smooth surface such as glass or metal, which permits removal of the foil by washing or scrubbin in hot water. Thus, it may be seen that oottles may be thoroughly cleaned by ordinary washing machinery, even though they have previously had metal foil or any non-absorbent material attached to them with glue.

It can readily be seen, from ti descrip tion which follows, that this invention is applicable to any non-absorbent material, which it is desired to removably attach to I any smooth surface, and it is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments described herein. 7

Fig. 1 shows a neck portion of a typical glass container, partly in cross-section, with foil secured around the neck in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the foil which is part of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a glass bottle 1, closed by a metal cap 2 having a cork insert 3. Surrounding the upper portion of the neck and the sides of the cap 2, is a strip of metal foil 4. I

The construction of the metal foil 4 is as follows: 70,

Referring to Fig. 2, in one embodiment the metal foil 4: has a backing 6 co-extensive in area with the foil 4 which is made of some water absorbent material, such as paper. The backing 6 is removably secured to the foil 4 in such manner that the two may be separated by the application of heat. It is desirable that the heat required be less than the boiling point of water, so that the foil and the backing may be separated by the hot water of an ordinary bottle washing machine.

I have found that wax or paraffin are substances suitable for securing the backing to the foil. Ordinary wax paper may be secured to the foil, by simultaneously heating and pressing and the foil then cut up in strips of a 5128 suitable for application to a; bottle or other container.

Instead of applying a backing of paper or 90. other fibrous material, it. is also possible to coat the surface of the foil with wax, paraffin or other substance which will melt in hot water and apply the foil so coated to the surface of a container, securing it with watersoluble glue. I r

' My invention as just described, facilitates the removal of the metal foil or othernonabsorbent material from the surface to which it has been attached in the follgwing manner: The wax or other substance which has been selected to' secure the fibrous backing 6 to the foil 4 will melt in hot water. If no fibrous backing has been used, the film of.

wax or other substance which coats the foil will likewise melt when heat is applied. The

coating of glue which secures the foil to the surface, as to a bottle, for example, is separated from the foil itself by the wax, or wax and fibre backing. When a bottle covered with such foil is submitted to the combined heat, scrubbing and washing-action of the machines usually used for such pur oses, the heat of the washing solution melts t e wax or other substance which is between the foil and the fibrous backing or between the foil and the glue as the case may be. The wax or other su stance in this melted state is semiliquid and becomes slippery, losing its adhesive qualities, and the foil is readily removed by the washing or scrubbing action. It is to be noted that this loosening of the foil is independent of any softening of the glue which holds the combined foil to the glass or metal surface. In the ordinary application of glue directly to the foil, it is impossiblefor the water, the foil being water-proof, to attack the glue. This is the cause of the great difliculty in removing the foil. \Vh'en, as has just been described, the foil is removed merely by the application of heat, the washing solution can then attack the glue, wash it away 2nd leave a perfectly clean and sanitary surace..

What I claim is: In combination, a bottle, a metal foil coated on one side with a wax substance which will melt in hot water, a water-soluble glueinterposed between said substance and said bottle for securing said foil to the bottle.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this speclfication.

SAMUEL GREENHOUSE. 

